Expo, Day 2: Around the World in...13 Hours

I believe that on my second day in Expo, I claimed the ability to say that I’ve visited more countries than any Watson Fellow before me, and all without leaving my first project country. Okay, so visiting the pavilions is hardly the same as visiting the real countries themselves—for example, there were no Maasai in Kenya, though there was a (stuffed) lion and an empty boma, no Mounties in Canada, and no Hollywood or Mount Rushmore in America—but they do provide some insight into the countries they represent, and are a fun experience. Frankly, if the Expo is ever near you, I recommend going (Silicon Valley is preparing a bid for 2020) as it is a fun experience and a chance to get some exotic foods, exposure to some countries you may never have heard of, and a glimpse into the everyday life of other cultures and societies.

My second day started similarly to my first. I rose early and joined the throngs of people at Expo Park first to get a ticket for my second day and then to enter the park. With a little bit of knowledge under my belt, I planned which entrance to use this time and where to dash first, planning the best route to get to the front of the line in the UK Pavilion. As I mentioned in my last post on my first day at Expo, rather than bore everyone with a play by play of my pavilion visits, I will post thoughts on each in a different way after my final visit to Expo. Until then, I thought I’d mention some of the highlights and lowlights as they pertain to the pavilion experiences and the application of the theme of “Better City, Better Life.” Keep in mind these are just my opinions based on my impressions and expectations of the Expo.

Before I go into those highlights though, a general note on the pavilions. The messages of the pavilions vary greatly, some embracing the idea of “Better City, Better Life” wholeheartedly and in unique ways, and others failing to highlight the theme and instead using the platform as a chance to boost tourism and advertise the country on a world stage for investment and travel. I would generally say that many European countries fall into the former category and tend to project strong messages of sustainability and nature as being important for cities and quality urban life. On the other hand, most Central and South American and African countries fell into the latter category, likely because they have not yet developed to the point of having methods and technologies which can be exported to create better urban lives. Rather they rest on their natural beauty and integration thereof into the village and city environments as a platform for attracting investment and tourism. These pavilions read more as brochures with 3-D gimmicks rather than blueprints for the future, and this is understandable given their socioeconomic situation. Then there are pavilions which definitely tip their hat to the idea of “Better City, Better Life” but choose to do so in a way that may not have replicable messages for other countries and cities globally. I suppose they are accurately representing in many cases their pathway to better urban living, but I personally would rather have seen not just a showcase of their country but lessons that could be taken and applied to other locales. To me, that is the value of a venue such as the World Expo—best practices can easily be shared and viewed side-by-side and visitors can think about applying lessons across cultures simply as the walk through the various countries.

The Winners: The Best Pavilions I Visited

United Kingdom—This pavilion is one of the best for its sheer architectural impressiveness. I saw artist’s renderings of the building before visiting, and was impressed but skeptical that it could actually look like the depictions.

But in fact, it truly does.

The building is made of thousands of acrylic tubes which give it a hairball-like appearance that I really enjoy, but what is more impressive is the interior space of the pavilion. Its well-deserved moniker is "The Seed Cathedral" and frankly, it was a more reverent space, in my opinion, than many religious edifices. Even on a cloudy day, the interior is illuminated by thousands of points of light drawn in by the acrylic tubes for a truly awe-inspiring experience.

At the base of each acrylic tube is a set of seeds from a different plant creating what one visitor described to me as a “Noah’s Ark for plants.” Being surrounded by plant seeds forces visitors think about the plants around their own world and how they are disappearing from both urban and rural landscapes. The whole pavilion is dedicated toward the role of plants in society via more sustainable plastics and materials and in greening and cleaning cities. I must say it falls a bit short on this educational component which is restricted to signs next to plants tucked in nooks and crannies, but it is still one of my favorites for its architectural elements and use of natural light in such an innovative, awe-inspiring manner.

Norway—Take a trip along the fjords of Norway to learn how Norwegians live and die by the seas. This wood and canvas structure teaches of the challenges of living in a cold climate and the ways in which Norwegians have harnessed the power and bounty of the sea for food and life. Simultaneously, it serves as an example of a low energy-intensity structure using natural ventilation to its advantage. The construction also has less embodied energy than many of the other pavilions further making it an example of sustainability. My only complaint is that this is not discussed, even in the section of the pavilion which discusses climate change and its impact on the arctic to which Norway is rather close.

In its exhibits, the Norway pavilion showcases its natural environment and especially its relationship to the sea. Displays show Norwegians using the sea for food, sport, and even renewable energy via offshore wind. However one of my favorite displays was of a distributed water purification system that a Norwegian country has developed which is applicable in remote regions worldwide. The model in the picture below will be going to a village in India when Expo is over. This display combined with the idea of offshore wind and the low-energy pavilion are lessons that can be taken from the Norway pavilion and applied the world over, making it a great example of what the Expo should be about.

Belgium/EU—The combined Belgium/EU pavilion not only shows Belgium’s status as the geographic heart of the European Union, but it showcases some of the emerging sectors of importance in both this central nation and the EU as a whole. It talks about the EUs commitment to reducing greenhouse gases, shows off novel solar and biogas technology with displays teaching how these ideas are executed, and promotes the social importance of “Better City, Better Life” by highlighting as well Belgium’s technology in the realm of healthcare. The displays are informative, interesting, and show that the path to sustainability is possible not just for Belgium and Europe but for the rest of the world as well. It mentions what nations like China can do to adopt these technologies and move to a greener world as well as discussing Europe's path. And of course, it wouldn't be Belgium without a display on chocolate and the technology behind chocolate.

Singapore—Singapore's pavilion treats the theme of "Better City, Better Life" as harmony, literally. The idea of the first floor is making music that weaves all of the diverse backgrounds in Singapore together. They call it an urban symphony--a blend of cultures through which the city and environment beat with one heart. While the displays on this floor is interesting, and the theme is very artsy and well done, what ranks this pavilion among the best in my opinion is the movie on the second floor. Here, you learn about the challenges Singapore had to face in developing on a small island nation with limited resources. The decision makers in this process appear in the movie and talk at length about how through strong policies and smart engineering Singapore has been transformed into one of the leaders in sustainable development. The policy lessons are clear to viewer--change from the government through laws, policies, and codes is very important in effecting sustainability on the ground. In my opinion, some of the policies discussed in the Singapore video are very applicable to other societies. Policies governing pollution discharge, rainwater collection, and efficient development are effective not just on an island nation.

One other thing I really liked about the Singapore pavilion was its rooftop garden. Showcasing some plants from the country, it also puts into one's mind the idea of having the roof as a place of respite and a way to bring harmony between nature and man into the city. This idea complements the Chinese philosophy of man and nature as two important parts of the whole (I discussed this in my post on Chinese gardens) and is well-executed in this pavilion. It serves as an example not necessarily of the silver bullet for sustainable cities, but as one way to provide social and environmental significance to a roof--an otherwise empty space.

Countries Whose “Better City, Better Life” May Not Have Broadly Applicable Lessons

Cuba—The hedonist in me would like to say that this pavilion makes the highlight reel for “Better City, Better Life” but the more sensible side of me won out. Rather than focus on anything social, economic, environmental, or political, the brightly lit, festive Cuba Pavilion represents the country as a large fiesta featuring margaritas and mariachi, cigars and coffee. Great place to grab a drink and watch traditional cigar rolling, but not to learn about creating a better city or a better life going forward for Cuba or any other nation. Stop by if you’re dragging and need a caffeine boost or want to sip tequila as a respite from the sudden thunderstorm.

Venezuela—I don’t suppose I should have expected much from the pavilion of a country run by Hugo Chavez, but I figured I’d pay Venezuela a visit to see what they had to say. After passing through the forest of red panels and flags touting the strong oil-based trade relationship between Venezuela and China, I worked my way through a collection of video screens displaying how happy farmers are in the country as they toil on the fields and the joys of families living in Venezuela’s cities. Strangely, there is nothing about the nature of the country. This was all to introduce visitors to what the pavilion would like you to see as everyday life in Venezuela. Yet the themed part of the pavilion, the portion about “Better City, Better Life” was the large amphitheatre playing a video about Simon Bolivar and the revolution. Now I don’t know the exact accounts of Bolivar’s Revolution, but based on some of President Chavez’s recent actions, I find it hard to believe that this is a completely unbiased view of the history. But the message is clear—Simon Bolivar created a better city and better life for Venezuela which continues to today. So what lessons can we draw from this? I suppose Revolution is the way to create a better life for the common people, especially using Venezuela’s model. Hence why I believe the pavilion missed the boat on creating a message from which broad lessons can be drawn.

The sign below also made me wonder after reading articles like that linked above what kind of world it is talking about. For those who can't make out the words in the small picture, in English it reads "Another world is possible. And we are constructing it in Venezuela." True, but is the Venezuelan model of reconstructing history and the nation the one we want to follow? I question the model's applicable lessons in the vein of "Better City, Better Life."

Though I believe my favorite part of the pavilion was the outside plaza where I found the only mention of sustainability in the pavilion. Here a plaque proudly displays the message that Venezuela is a proud supporter of the Kyoto Protocol article that stipulates that developed countries should give aid, including food, to developing nations. This made me laugh and call even more into question the other “facts” I had read in the pavilion when I put it in the context of recent accusations that President Chavez let massive amounts of foreign food aid rot in Venezuela’s ports.

Perhaps I am too cynical. Below are some images of signs in the pavilion. I hope you can read the English text, if not, please let me know and I will find a way to post larger copies. Perhaps they will help you form your opinion on Venezuela's pavilion and not just take my own.

Iceland—Having spent time in this natural gem of a country during a six-week sustainability sojourn learning about renewable energy and researching waste heat to electricity methods, I was excited to see how Iceland would discuss its success in using 99% carbon-free electricity. During the 10 minute movie projected on 4 walls and the ceiling without narration, my excitement slowly turned to disappointment. Only one shot of the Krafla Deep Drilling Project was included, and one shot of a hydropower station. The rest of the movie, save for a couple of minutes shot in Reykjavik and one shot on a fishing boat, revolved around the volcanoes, glaciers, and waterfalls that lend the island nation its moniker of “The Isle of Fire and Ice.” My takeaway then for the theme: hope your country has some beautiful nature like Iceland because beautiful scenery is part of creating a better life. If you’re looking for messages that can be taken back to your own nation for application, unless you have gorgeous nature to show off, good luck implementing the Iceland Pavilion message.

My first day there was Iceland’s Pavilion Day, and my good friend President Olafur Ragnar Grimmson was in town to help kick off a forum on geothermal energy with experts from China and Iceland.

(Okay, so we’re not good friends, but I did actually meet him last summer.)

Such fora are much more helpful in building off of Iceland’s experience to create “Better Cities, Better Lives” and contain messages that can be applied broadly to many other nations. However from the Pavilion, you wouldn’t know it. Furthermore, unlike other countries, the pavilions of which demonstrate sustainable technologies, Iceland’s is (to borrow from Pomona College Professor George Gorse) a BBB—big bland building, or really a big bland box. It is a steel-frame, quick-construction box covered with a plasticized canvas exterior making it look like an ice cube. And to make the sustainability of it worse, it is kept at a chilly 22^oC, the temperature of an Icelandic summer, even when it is 40^oC or more outside. Maybe in Iceland where cooling can be accomplished on geothermal power that is alright, but here we’re talking about using natural gas and such a large cooling bill is racking up a substantial carbon footprint for Iceland.

United Arab Emirates—I don’t want to judge the UAE based on their pavilion as it is my next stop on my Watson Fellowship (and I know they are doing some really cool applicable sustainability initiatives), but I have to say that I was disappointed in the message of the UAE Pavilion as it applies to the theme of the Expo. On a side note, it is architecturally stunning--the sand dune facade made of triangular golden tiles that shimmer and change color slightly as you move is a great building. But the UAE Pavilion has a strong message of creating a “Better City, Better Life” through wealth from oil discovery and exploration and strong political leadership. While the latter creates an important point applicable to other nations, the majority of the three films in the pavilion focuses on the wealth of the UAE and the world class services the country now provides.

Only one line of the three narrated films was devoted to the Masdar Initiative, the new project near Abu Dhabi to create the world’s first carbon neutral city. Aside from that, the message was that building on strong leadership and money from oil, the UAE has rapidly leapfrogged into world leadership of services, tourism, and entertainment while retaining its cultural roots and identity. I don’t see too many lessons here that can be drawn for other countries in an age where declining oil production and higher costs of exploration are leading many experts to declare the end of oil is in sight. In my opinion, it would have been nicer to highlight more of the technologies and design ideas going into Masdar and other innovative building projects that could be applicable worldwide.

Other Notes and Musings

1. Food

For the foodies out there, Expo provides a cornucopia of cuisine. It seems every pavilion has its own café or restaurant that serves up a specialty or two from that locale. With the long days I had it was inevitable that I had to try some of these fares (I know—it’s a tough life) and I have to say, due to a combination of being the most inexpensive meal I found and a longing for travels gone by, I dined at the “Hakuna Matata” grill on an ostrich and pita wrap.

While delicious, I have to say it wasn’t the same as the African fare I like the best— Kenyan chapattis and cabbage, and Peter Saeta’s Togolese peanut sauce. But it still was a nice flavorful trip down memory lane. If African’s not your thing, how about Australian beef burgers, German Bratwurst, or seafood direct from Norway—that and more abounds at Expo!

2. The USA Pavilion

As an American, I had to go visit the home pavilion, and though it didn’t quite make my “Winners” list, I was still overall impressed with the USA effort. It is a series of three movies the first of which documents American citizens trying to say hello and welcome in Chinese, and failing miserably. It is rather humorous and in the end, they all get it. The second shows some corporations that are making a difference and highlights the importance of dreaming big to achieve cities of the future. The final motion picture is a 4-D show without words showing one girl’s trials and triumph in reclaiming a cornerpiece of New York for a community garden through the help of the other residents. While inspirational, it is the reason I left the US off of my “Winners” list. The message is clear—everyone can make a difference in bringing nature back to the city, and through concerted community action we can create better living spaces for all. However, though the message can be applied to other cities, I felt it failed to send a strong enough message about how we can create a better urban environment—rooftop and corner gardens aren’t enough—and focused too much on the plight of one girl in a fictional situation without spending enough time showing ways America can teach other nations and cities lessons from our experiences and struggles.

One other note about the Pavilion—the influence of Disney is evident from the moment you walk in. (Disney is one of the corporate sponsors) The queuing area could easily be the pre-show area for Captain EO or the Muppets 3-D, complete with the first movie while you wait to enter the theater and a spotlighted host welcoming you in a cheery voice to the Pavilion and joking with audience members before turning it over seamlessly to the video. At the conclusion, doors swing open and you slide (with the pushing and shoving crowd) into the first theater which reminded me in shape of the Hall of Presidents at Disney World, Florida (the movie has President Obama too). Again a spotlighted host welcomes you, closes the automatic doors, and turns it over to the movie. At the conclusion, more automatic doors, and a move into the 4-D theater which is merely an updated version of the Kodak Magic Eye Theater at Disneyland (I don’t know the current name, but it’s where Captain EO is shown) complete with misters, a vibrating floor, and 3-D screens. Finally, you exit into a gift shop and corporate sponsor display area, similar to the Star Tours exit. A very Disney experience, and appropriate for the USA Pavilion. Frankly, there are many pavilions that I think could learn from the USA and Disney experience to better understand crowd movement through their own spaces. After all, when Disney designed pavilions for the 1964 World’s Fair in New York that was the primary concern. In fact they were done so well, 4 of them became rides. It’s too bad I don’t see this pavilion living up to that achievement.

3. Cisco

I wanted to include Cisco above as one of the “winners” but chose instead to highlight them here since they are a corporate and not country pavilion. Cisco’s Pavilion is very inspiration, exciting, and gets to the point I mentioned in my previous Expo post about Expo having the opportunity to inspire young visitors to engage in science and technology to better their world. Cisco’s pavilion features a 3-D movie demonstrating how Cisco’s products can integrate into all aspects of the city environment to help optimize management of disaster mitigation (in this case a typhoon bearing down on Shanghai), medical information transfer and consulting (a woman enters early labor and her doctor is out of town), traffic management and accident response, and even communication for personal reasons (a man uses his phone and car systems to stop his beloved from getting on a plane for good). Though perhaps bordering on overdramatic, the technology showcased and the visions of the future portrayed can inspire many youngsters who get dragged over and away from the cooler country pavilion side of the river. The message here is clear—technology has a huge potential to more effectively manage cities to prevent loss of life, manage accidents and disasters, and even bring us closer together to create a “Better City, Better Life.”

Look for one last Expo post before my time in China is up. Here I chose not to detail any of the Urban Best Practices Area Case Study Pavilions (though many would make the winners list) because that will be the focus of my final post. And if you want to know more about the other pavilions not covered here, I’ll let everyone know when I have my full breakdown available online. Please remember that all of the above and everything in that breakdown is my own personal opinion and reading of the pavilions based on my expectations. Until then, I’ll leave you with a picture of myself in front of the most recognizable pavilion in China—the China National Pavilion.